Category Archives: Words

iPhone Music Shuffle

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with no cheating…

  1. Realize by Colbie Caillat – this is an album I have bought but have only listened to a few times. Inoffensive but blah.
  2. Ave Maria sung by Ave Sol Chamber Choir – this is part of the relaxing classics album I bought so as to expose Evelina to a bit of Culture.
  3. We Used to Vacation by Cold War Kids – love this song and love this band even if I do always think it’s The Raconteurs.
  4. Girl Sailor by The Shins – this is from the album Wincing the Night Away which I adore but I couldn’t name the songs since I am no longer a teenager who studies the  CD sleeve (I don’t know if I downloaded this or bought the CD) and I am not quite a hipster either even if I do love Instagram.
  5. Black Wave by The Shins – rubbish shuffling! See comment above.
  6. One Jump Ahead (From Aladdin) by Brad Kane – great song (from another album bought for ‘Evelina’ ie I love Disney so I wasn’t complaining!).
  7. Be Careful Love by Maggie Walters – this song appeared in a Friday Night Lights episode so I own it.
  8. Once and For All by Foo Fighters – Love.
  9. True Colors by Glee Cast – I went through a phase when Glee first aired of buying all the music but I soon got bored of all the filler. I am afraid I am not a particular fan of Cyndi Lauper‘s original – I think it’s one of her weaker songs even though everyone raves about it – and I am not a massive fan of this version either.
  10. Bright Eyes by Lua – from the Acoustic 07 album which I am a bit addicted to, this falls squarely into the strummy category I mentioned here.

This post is no. 10 of my April daily writing challenge.

The Cat is Back

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Rich has returned from his trip oop north and so we have three days together which is lovely (and even if he is working today, at least he is home).

While he was away, I managed to get some of those things done that I wanted:

I chose a pattern for the quilt in our lounge: the Patience Corner Quilt from Issue 10 of Sew Hip.

We didn’t get to the park but we did visit Auntie Joan and Evelina played with the water in the care home’s garden fountain.

We didn’t build a foert either but that might be fun to do with Daddy too so maybe this weekend…

I watched all the Clean House episodes in one evening. Some of the epiusodes are hosted by Vanessa from The Cosby Show!

SaturdayAnd I finished reading Saturday by Ian McEwan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book upon the recommendation of a Stratford Waterstones employee and I am so grateful. I have enjoyed other McEwan novels and so I knew the tense read I was in for. Somehow, McEwan managed to write from the point of view of his confident Dr Perowne who seems to ave it together, who is happy and yet also uneasy. And all the while we get the sense of some imminent danger. I read with unease but a good sense of unease, if that is possible. At times, I was frustrated by the wordiness, by the tangents that seem irrelevant. But without these rambling thoughts of our protagonist, perhaps the tension would not be built in the right way or to the right extent. I am not sure I enjoyed it as much as Enduring Love or Atonement. Still, it had suspense, great characterisation and authentic emotion.

While the Cat’s Away

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I have plenty of things on my to-do list which are not particularly fun so I thought I would make myself a new list for the next couple of days while Rich is away:

  • Finish quilting my Maple Leaf Block
  • Decide on the design for a new quilt for the lounge
  • Finish reading Saturday by Ian McEwan and write a review
  • Go to the park with Evelina
  • Watch all the Clean House episodes that I have recorded
  • Build a duvet fort with Evelina

5 Pet Peeves on TV

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  1. British characters using American slang when they wouldn’t in real life
  2. Good shows being cancelled (Dollhouse) while others run on and on (Two and a Half Men)
  3. Sloppy writing
  4. When a TV character searches on the Internet and doesn’t use Google or another recognised search engine
  5. When a TV character using some kind of instant messenger and the typing updates letter by letter rather than by message.

This post is no. 7 of my April daily writing challenge.

A Book I Love

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The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and ClayThe Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

My rating: 5 of 5 star

I wrote this review back in 2008. 

After a slow start (which was down to me rather than the book), I fell into this world of comic-book writers, New York and beyond with such fervour, I was quite deflated when I finished the book. It helps that the subject matter appeals to my recent interest in comics but this by no means is a necessity to enjoy Chabon’s truly masterful prose. His writing is evocative, clear and engaging. I absolutely adored this book.

The story starts in Prague with a young Josef Kavalier who is completely absorbed by learning escapology. He performs his greatest feat in evading the Nazi invaders and in doing so, travels to New York to meet his cousin with whom he starts a long career. Although he got to safety, he has to deal with leaving behind his family and his comic book art unsurprisingly reveals his hatred of the Nazi Germans and his desire to set free all those people around the world who are in chains.

The magic of the era and the power of their stories shine through. I will definitely want to read this book again.

This post is no. 3 of my April daily writing challenge.